The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-12-11
MICKEY FINN's CAT.

S->
goat and got the kindling wood ready
for the morning.
"Shure I sold her for a dollar bill
right in me hand"
Mickey started up with an exclama-
ton of grief and surprise.
"Oh, ye needn't be Vaughn your jaws
at tn mother that raised ye up and fed
ye since ye were no bigger'n tn little cat
itsel. know phwat's best fur ye, me
by, an cats is no good, on'y fur t. be
me-owin' around on the fnce whin
dacent folksis in bed these cowld nights.
Now. Mickey, avio, be good t. yerser
an don't be w'inin about m 'asely cat
as has Aeas an is on'y good fur lappin'
milk an scratehin' at tn back dure.
Hasen't We tn crow an tn billy goat t.
play wid2 Ye wouldn't be havin' as
foine fun wild scrawny cat as ye wud
wild a fine billy goat Wild his wicked
horns an tn DEVILS eyes his head,
bad luck to him! The fl, .lance I'll
be havin, I'll sell him. too, so will,
glory be t. God. I'd havin' him sold
this tweI month Only livery wun is
afeared ~ his dirty tricks, so they are
AY had that goat on tn limekill I'd
shove him off, SOL would, an him fallin'
on the rocks below an smashing him
into little bits no bigger'n buckwate.
This TRADE against his pets had no eff
feet upon Mickey. He had heard it so
often that it passed through his mind
like water through sieve. How to re-
cover the cat was what troubled him
She had been in his possession only
about one month, but during that time
he had learned to regard her with a
great deal of affection. The genealogy
of the cat was unknown to little Mike.
He didn't Know whether the cat had
Tapped warm milk before cosy kitchen
fire, or had been forced out into the
cold world in her extreme youth and
made to stratch for her living in refuse
heaps. All he knew of her early history
was that on returning home one even
ing he saw Doolan's yellow dog chase
her up tree. He had stoned the dog
away and coaxtd the cat to come down.
Safely sheltered in his bosom, he had
taken her home and washed her muddy
fur with water from the hand basin and
wiped her dry with his handkerchief
When he had thoroughly cleaned her
fur, he found that she was pure white in
color, without spot or blemish. and that
she had beautiful pink eyes. He re-
now that she was lost to
him, perhaps forever; that for two
months the cat had been his bedfelloW.
Even now, in fancy, he could hear her
soft purr as she snuggled down against
his breast, with her long whiskers
tickling his cheek. He noted in his
minds eye how nicely the blue ribbon
around her neck contracted with the
color of her shining coat, and he was
very sorfowful and cried inwardly and
would have burst into tears if the door
had been between him and his mother.
However, the exigencies of the case
called for action and he mustered up
courage enough to say tremblingly:
Mother, what was the Homan's
lame as bought her2'
bad scran t. We, by; allure
wouldn't haV' tn impotence t. AZ her
lame, an she givin me a dollar fur
Veeny cat, when there's more cats as
nd Gil cellar over on Hanratty Street
rev ant, an divil ha' porth ye'd paw
Or forty iv them, ribbon an all. Ion'y |
now tn Teddy lives on the hill fornInst |
b. Catholic church. an her man is a
awyer, wild bags full iv goold and sill
er, t. say nothin' iy tn granebacks he |
oes be havin', more power till him.
by, Mickey, fur phwat d We want t
now her name, at all 2" said Mrs. Finn,
II do be wantin' t. buy her back |
GIN"
buy her back agin! an me wild tn
lessed dollar in me pocket, wild Gar
eid's plctur' in wan corner an another
lan's writin' in another corner, as
lakes the bfil a good wan till the 1nde-
lint day! G. out, ye idjit! LAX at
him shoes on yer fate, wild the toes iy
G peepin' out and sayin' good mornin'
ye every time ye're putin thin on!
y tn ould gray goat veil not feind out
here she's Twin, so We won't, me laddy
uck."
Then Mrs. Finn's heart sinote her.
ne saw the grief upon the boys face.
be saw his eyelids heavy with unshed
'ars and sh9 tried to comfort him.
New, Mickey, me by, never moind
le cat an I'D make little cake fur rye
i'd Yankee flag stuck in tn middle,
L will, an ye can ate it all yersel
idout anyone akin ye fur mouthful.
Ow We 20 t. bee, like good by, an in
: mornin' ye1l forgit all about tn
t."
Little Mike went into the bedroom
i'd removed his eloquent shoes. He
t on the edge of his trundlebed, and
e moon came up over Stumpy Field ,
i'd looked ia the window. These were
. hours which had been cheered by
@ presence Of the cat; these were the :
mes when the cat had rubbed herself
OK and forth against his ankles and
ID Looked up IN his face inviting
ress. The remembrance of these past {.
enes came to him with bitter. ess
" ct the thought of his loss, and he .
solved to start out in search of her.
fly opening the dsor into the !
chen, he saw that his mother had =
ne out to chat with a neighbor. He y
;ered his little iron savings bank from
e mantel, closed the door softly be-
nd him, and stepped out into the Old
int road. The undertaking of the n
y was Qnixotie. His knowledge of
: locality where the lady lived who "
d bought the cat was meager. but ne
pit stoutly on up the road, buttonIng "
coat tightly up about his neck. for
; night was chill. When he reached lis